Toyota Camry adds V6 power, AWD option

The 2022 Toyota Camry may be facing a fall from its lofty perch of best-selling vehicles, but it has nothing to do with just how good this sedan is and what a great value the four-door presents for families looking for reliability and a solid ride.

If the Camry had not been such a sedan superstar for decades, its place as the third-best-selling vehicle that is not a pickup might not even be on the radar. But, it is. Camry has a huge sales success legacy and while it says nothing about the vehicle and more about the momentum trending with crossovers and SUVs, Camry seems to get better with every generation —though its percentage of sales dips with the rest of the sedan class.

Highlights

The best things about the 2022 Toyota Camry start with the exterior aesthetics and move under the hood to the V6 creating 300 horsepower and the optional all-wheel drive, which is a blessing for Chicagoland winter weather.

My tester featured the very cool TRD package, including factory-enhanced tuning, a special exhaust system, red TRD badging on the bold front grille, and the upgraded V6 engine.

Exterior

At 194.6 inches in length and sporting a wheelbase of 111.2 inches, the Camry is long and lean. Well-known for its palette of hues, Camry doesn’t disappoint by offering nine options that vary from trim level to interior fabric choices. Several new colors are available this year.

On the outside, Camry is no longer the standard sedan meant to blend in more than stand out. From its front corner flanks, where the aggressive, low-slung nose scoops up the air on both sides of the “X” shaped front end grille, to the cool blackened pillars and roof and sporty rear-deck spoiler, there’s little not to like about this Camry.

My tester featured gorgeous matte black 19-inch alloy rims and cat-black dual exhaust with w/chrome tips. All of this serves one purpose — to make Camry feel fast, feel fun, and feel different than the competition — which it manages hands-down.

Cabin feel

I can speak only to the top trim levels of the Camry, including the TRD, but I found these variants to possess plenty of soft-touch surfaces and leather accents and upholstery depending on the willingness to add several thousand dollars for leather.

I found the Camry’s front seats to be a bit disappointing, bolstering, in particular, was lacking. While I appreciated the eight-way power-adjustable seating for both passenger and driver, it was the red stitching and the red seatbelts’ bold contrast to the black cloth seating that made me smile every time I got into the Camry.

While I love the center structure in the rear seating design, it does negate the ability to fold down the rear seats for added utility. Couple that with the Camry’s 15.1 cubic feet of trunk space and you have less than the average for this class.

The TRD keeps with the cool stuff by offering red-illuminated instrumentation, aluminum sport pedals, patterned metal trim, sports seats, and a leather gearshift. My tester featured full-speed dynamic radar cruise control, wireless smartphone charging, and a three-mode switch for Eco, Normal or Sport.

Safety

Standard safety features on all models are inclusive of ten airbags, a rearview camera, stability control, and brake assist, along with tire-pressure monitoring and Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+, which includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, auto high beams, lane-tracing assist, lane-departure alert (including steering assist), dynamic radar cruise control, and road-sign assist. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are reserved for the highest levels, including my TRD.

Performance

Starting with the base model, the Camry ranges from a basic people mover to a complete thriller depending on the trim level you opt for in the lineup. At the base level, you will find a 2.5-liter delivering 203 horsepower. At 7.3-seconds to 60 mph, it is anything but aggressive, but many enjoy the competency and reliability.

Toyota’s impressive 3.5-liter V6 makes the TRD sedan jump from 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds; opt for the XLE and settle for very little less at 6 seconds to 60 mph. My TRD offered a top speed of 135 mph. On the highway, it responds in a snap and makes maneuvers easy in any lane, or at any speed. Overall, a bit of road noise makes its way into the cabin.

Whether you want a front-wheel or all-wheel drive, the automatic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) pairs well, though there is no AWD with the V6 (bummer). I found it responsive and only occasionally felt any delay in high-end shifts. My TRD tester achieved the predicted fuel mileage at 22/31/25 mpg.

When a TRD comes to rest, it lands at about $32,000. Maybe more surprising is that the Camry can only be optioned up to a maximum $35,820. This is a very fair price for the sporty look and fun performance based on reliability.

• John Stein is a freelance journalist based in Chicago. He has more than 25 years’ experience driving, testing, and writing about the automotive industry, its latest innovations, and vehicles.